Process for the economical reduction of composite sugar-bearing solutions



Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

HENRY JERMAIN CREIGHTON, OF SWARTI-IMOBE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ATLAS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS FOR THE ECONOMICAL monomer: or COMPOSITE SUGAR-BEARING SOLU- nous.

No Drawing.

My co-pending application, Serial No. 97,782, tiled March 26th, 1926, which resulted in the grant of Patent 1,612,361 issued December 28, 1926, discloses a process torelectrolytically reducing sugars to the corresponding alcohols and, more particularly, the reduction of mannose to mannite. 1n carrying out said process, an aqueous solution of the sugar to be reduced, and which solution has been rendered conducting by the addition of a suitable sodium or potassium compound, such as the sulphate is placed in the cathodic section of an electrolysis cell, where it constitutes the catholyte. The cathode consists of a body of mercury. During the operation of the cell, the mercury isagitated or stirred, along with the catholyte. The anodic section of the cell is separated from the cathodic section by a porous diaphragm or cylinder of a nature to prevent the mixing of the catholyte and the anolyte, but of a nature to permit the passage of hydrogen ions from the anodic to the cathodic section, and to permit the passage of hydroxyl ions from the cathodic to the anodic section. An anode, which may advantageously consist of lead or lead that is coated With lead dioxide, is disposed in the anodic section and said section contains an anolyte, such as so dium sulphate for example, in the form of an aqueous solution.

Vhen the electric current is turned on, the sulphate ions are discharged at the lead dioxide anode and these subsequently react with the water, forming oxygen and sulphuric acid in the porous cylinder. In the cathodic section of the cell, sodium ions discharge at the mercury cathode and the resulting sodium or potassium atoms unite with the mercury, forming alkali metal amalgam, which subsequently decomposes the Water, forming nascent hydrogen and alkali metal hydroxide' The nascent hydrogen formed in this way reduces the mannose to mannite. Continuous decomposition of this amalgam would tend to increase continuously the alkali content (c. g., sodium hydroxide) of the catholyte. This continuous increase, however, is prev ented by the fact that hydrogen ions migrate from the anodic solution into the catholyte and there neutralize the alkali, and hydroxyl ions mi- Application filed March 26, 1926. Serial No. 97,784.

grate from the catholyte into the porous cylinder and there neutralize the acid, the result of both neutralimtions being the. 1'0 formation of alkali metal sulphate. In this way a limited amount of alkali metal sulphate is used over and over again. The

rates of migration of these ions and other conditions are such that the catholyte re-' mains either alkaline or neutral, and the anolytc remains so1 ue\\'l 1at acid.

My improved process, as outlined above, is of marked advantage in the economical commercial reduction oli-composite, sugar bearing solutions. For example, the sugar syrup prepared by standard methods from vegetable ivory. consisting largely of mannoso and some glucose and possibly other sugars, may be very readily reduced by the electrolytic method, just described, and the resulting-mannite or the mixed alcohols may be separated from the catholyte by proper extraction methods. Ithas been found to be much cheaper to reduce the syrup ot' mixed sugars, obtained from vegetable ivory, and then extract the mannite from the product of the reduction process than to separate first the mannose from the mixed sugars and reduce said mannose to mannite. Furthermore, it is not always necessary or desirable to separate the alcohols of the reduction process. \Vhile one of the important uses for the mannite that I produce is in the pro duction of nitro-mannite for use in explosives, I find that a highly desirable and very economical explosive of this naturemay be produced by first reducing the composite vegetable ivory syrup by the method described,' and then nitrating the composite alcoholic product Without attempting to separate the mannite from the remainder of the product.

Therefore, by the present application, I desire to claim the above described step of reducing a natural, composite sugar-bearing mixture to the corresponding alcohols and hols, and thereafter separating said alcohols,

in contra-distinction to first separating the sugars 1n the natural product, and then reducmg the lndlvidual sugars, is being made the subject matter of a separate application,

vSerial No. 221,626, filed on the 23rd day'of September, 1927, under Patent Office requirement for division. I also desire to claim the nitration of the product obtained by the re duction of the composite sugar-bearing syrup prepared from natural sources, such as vege-- table ivory, dahlia tubers and other natural sources of inulin, corn-cobs and other natural. sources of xylose, and the utilization of the nitrated product in the manufacture of explosives, in the way now well known in the art of explosives manufacture.

Having described my invention, what I claim 15:

of reducing a composite sugar-bearing mixture, obtained from" natural prodiicts, and

nitrating the composite alcoholic product. 2. The herein described method consisting of electrolytically reducing a composite sugar-bearing mixture, obtained from natural products, and nitrating the composite alcoholic product.

3. The herein described method which consists of electrolytically reducing the product, which contains a plurality of sugars,-

optained from natural sources, to the correspondmg alcohols and. nltratmg the com- I posite alcoholic product.

4. The herein described method which consists of electrolytically reducing the product, which contains a plurality of sugars, ob-

or potassium compound, in an electrolysis cell, having a mercury cathode; forming sodium amalgam directly 1n the cell, which converts the sugars to the corresponding :11

cohols, and then nitrating the composite alcoholic product. 1. The herein described method consisting 6. The 'herein described method which consists of treating. a solution, including a plurality of sugars obtained by standard methods from vegetable ivory or other natural sources of mannose, together with a sodium or a potassium compound or mixture of these compounds, in an electrolysis cell, having a mercury cathode; forming alkali metal amalgaiudirectly in the cell, which converts the sugars to the corresponding alcohols, then separating the individual .alc'ohols and then nitrating the composite alcoholie product.

' In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature.

HENRY J ERMAIN CREIGHTON. 

